Lin and I had always wanted to visit the 'Feria de Caballo' in Jerez (Spain's world famous sherry producing town) which is reportedly the most prestigious equine heritage event in the whole of Europe. So when we got the opportunity to go in a luxury minibus with a group of our closest friends here, we jumped at the chance.
The minibus left Ronda at around 11am and after picking up a friend who lives in the white village of Algodanales, where we stopped for coffee, we arrived in Jerez city centre at 1 o'clock. We found a lovely restaurant in a square there where we took a few drinks and had a leisurely lunch.
The square where we took lunch...
...and adjoining courtyard
The minibus then collected us from the city centre and dropped us right outside the feria ground 'Gonzalez de Hontoria Park' which was filled with horse riders, carriages (both modern and classic) flamenco dancers and many local people in traditional dress!
This annual horse fair began as a livestock show in 1284 and is now a magnet for horse lovers and attracts many thousands of visitors each year. We had such a fantastic time that we are already planning to go again next year!
This annual horse fair began as a livestock show in 1284 and is now a magnet for horse lovers and attracts many thousands of visitors each year. We had such a fantastic time that we are already planning to go again next year!
It is hard to find enough superlatives to describe this event, so hopefully the following photographs will tell the story....
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